Who is she?
Dr. Heather Smith is Australia’s “sherpa” for the upcoming Group of 20 (G-20) summit in Australia. She was appointed to this role in September 2013. Prior to that, she served as a deputy secretary in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, with responsibilities that included the Americas, Africa, Northeast Asia, international security, and the G-20.
Heather Smith, Australia’s G-20 Summit sherpa. Source: CSIS photo by Jesse Swanson.
Why is she in the news?
Australia will host the annual G-20 summit in Brisbane on November 15-16. It has begun to outline priorities for the summit, and Heather Smith is playing a key role in articulating those, as she did at a recent CSIS event with U.S. G-20 sherpa Caroline Atkinson. Smith is also tasked with coordinating recommendations provided by the G-20’s advance working groups on business, labor, and youth.
What can we expect from her?
As sherpa, Heather Smith will be responsible for clearly communicating the desired Australian agenda to other members, and rallying them around Australia’s vision for the summit. We can expect her to work quietly but determinedly to advance Australian economic leadership and to finalize an agenda that Canberra feels best represents the country’s interests while making a concrete impact on the global economy.
The 2014 G-20 summit comes at a pivotal time, as global growth slowly picks up. Australia has signaled its intention to place job creation, through economic growth and trade liberalization, and measurable goals for G-20 members at the heart of the group’s agenda. It will be Dr. Smith’s job to lay the groundwork for those ambitious goals this year.
